"How could a baby monitor become an evil device for a hacker?"

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Baby monitors, thermostats, home surveillance cameras — these gadgets are not what comes to mind when picturing an evil army, but cybersecurity experts warn that malicious hackers are using common household smart devices to cause chaos and panic on the Internet, NBC 5 Chicago Investigates reported.

“How could a baby monitor become an evil device for a hacker?” said Darren Guccione, chief executive officer of Keeper Security, Inc. “We are in a cyberwar. There is no doubt we are in a cyberwar right now.”

Guccione said hackers are placing malicious software on vulnerable smart devices — those with weak usernames and passwords — to control them and attack third-party businesses.